Time Spent 2018: Canadian Perspectives on the Time they Spend with Family, Work, Exercise, Screentime, and Entertainment

August 23, 2018 — How do Canadians feel about their level of work-life balance, their amount of social media and smartphone screentime, and the perennial struggle between choosing physical fitness over couch potato entertainment options like video games, sports broadcasts, shows, and movies?

And, how do they feel about the level of participation of other household members in each of these activities?

Time Spent 2018 answers these questions. The study reveals how many Canadians feel that they or other members of their household spend too much time on their cellphones and social media, working, playing video games, and watching sports, movies, and shows on TV, Netflix, YouTube, etc. It also reveals how many Canadians feel that they or other household members do not spend enough time with family, helping out with family errands and housework, and exercising.

Among the noteworthy findings:

When it comes to work-life balance, about four-in-ten Canadians feel that they or another household member spend too much time working (43%) and not enough time with family (37%).

When considering screentime, about half of Canadians feel that they or someone else in their household spend too much time on their smartphones/cellphones (58%) or social media (46%).

When it comes to the struggle between choosing physical fitness over couch potato entertainment, most (72%) Canadians feel that they or another household member do not spend enough time exercising. Moreover, half (55%) feel that too much time is spent watching shows and movies.

Overall, when identifying activities where too much or not enough time is spent, it is notable that Canadians tend to point the finger of criticism at themselves much more so than at other household members.

For the full survey results, including demographic and regional breakdowns of the findings, please see our report: Time Spent 2018